Antartica- Skype #8

We have several different schools Skyping with us, as well as a researcher from Antarctica. It is currently -58 Fahrenheit outside with a wind chill of -88. We saw a peek outside the window to show the emptiness and vastness of Antarctica. We saw a slideshow about the South Pole, starting with how to get there. In order to do so, you take several flights, including a few special ones, and from there you can make your way to the South Pole. The station itself has 9300 feet in elevation, is 65,000 square feet, and uses 450k gallons of fuel. There are 42 people in the station this winter, and there are cafeterias with excellent food and bedrooms for each person. There are 3 generators in the station to utilize the fuel. For holidays, there's a gingerbread competition for Christmas, a feast followed by a day off after Thanksgiving, and in general they decorate the rooms for the holidays. The food comes to the South Pole through planes, and it is quite easy to obtain water; all they have to do is melt the ice around them. The coldest temperature in Antarctica is -107 Fahrenheit. To contrast, the warmest temperature is 8 Fahrenheit. In their free time, the scientists browse the web, watch movies, program, and play video games. Many scientists are homesick, especially during the holidays. The sun only sets and rises once every year, meaning Antarctica is fully light or dark 24/7, and the next time the sun will set is on March 21st. The scientists are researching IceCubes, which are Neutrinos, or particles which rarely interact with each other. For the researchers, they have to dress appropriately exploring the South Pole or risk getting frostbite. The researchers are running out of milk, eggs, and fresh fruit because they go bad faster than other foods.